


The Bitty Next Door

by SheeWolf85



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: BITTIES, Friends to Lovers, Implied past medical abuse, Injury, Kinda, Language, M/M, Mention of Past Abuse, Minor Character Death, Non-fatal Injury, Smidge Of Angst, Spicyhoney - Freeform, Themes of Grief and Loss, Violence, brief but sorta graphic violence, domestic bitty rus, for counterbalance, friends to boyfriends, nearly fatal injury, rats are assholes, rogue bitty, smidge of fluff, sorta wild anyway, vague illness, wild bitty edge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-31
Updated: 2019-07-31
Packaged: 2020-07-27 23:40:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20054443
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SheeWolf85/pseuds/SheeWolf85
Summary: Rus has been a domestic bitty his entire life. After his owner’s unexpected death, he’s chased from his home to unfamiliar surroundings.In the house next door, he meets Edge, a rogue bitty with a deep-seated hatred (read:fear) of humans and will not be anyone’s pet.With nowhere to go and too scared of what a new owner might mean for him, Rus agrees to stay with Edge and learn how to live the way he does.





	The Bitty Next Door

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Emrys89](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emrys89/gifts).

> Commission/gift fic for Emrys89 who wanted to see some Spicyhoney bitties in a unique setting a la the movie The Borrowers. 
> 
> I’ve seen the movie, but it was ages ago and I honestly only remember that the family lived in the floorboards. I didn’t rewatch it or anything and I’m not sure I can even claim that this is based on it, but I also feel like I should say something? So this is me saying something. 
> 
> Anyhow, I sincerely hope you enjoy this. I sure had a fun time writing it!
> 
> I held a Twitter poll to see if my readers would prefer I post this all at once or do chapters, and all at once won. So have this monstrosity of a oneshot!
> 
> Also, a few extra notes: 
> 
> Please read the tags. There’s nothing too serious in this fic, but there is some violence, including violence against a rat (seen as a dangerous wild animal and not a cute pet) and a moment of semi-graphic violence involving eyes. So be careful if you’re squeamish. 
> 
> I’m not very familiar with bitties. I’ve read some stories with them and various types of bitties, but I’ve never written them before. Please keep that in mind as you read.

Rus lived a happy life with his owner. He had been adopted as a baby bitty and lived his entire life with them, knowing nothing but love and care. He was fed well, exercised often (as often as he could; it was discovered early on in his childhood that he had a chronic illness that would rear its ugly head whenever he overexerted himself), and generally lived his life in the lap of luxury. 

And then one day, it was ripped right out from under him. 

It started as a normal day. There was absolutely nothing remarkable about it all. Until lunchtime. 

His owner had complained of chest pains for a week now. He had asked them to go to the doctor, and they said they would if it didn’t get any better by the next week. 

They were making a sandwich for themself, having already fed Rus, when it happened.

Rus watched in horror as his owner convulsed, grabbing at their chest and falling to the floor. He tried to get the phone, but it was too big for him. He knew he should call for help. He was too small!

It seemed forever before his owner finally stopped convulsing. He expected them to get up, cough a bit, and then call for help. 

Instead, they weren’t even breathing. He shook their arm, calling their name to try to get their attention. 

They didn’t move. 

It took Rus far too long to realize the truth. 

His owner had just died.

Rus hid when authorities came to take his owner away. He didn’t want to go to a different owner and have to pretend that the one he’d just lost had never existed. He didn’t want to love anyone else like he’d loved them only to have them taken away from him, too. 

He cried for days, alone in the empty house. He didn’t know what to do. His owner had always been there for him, from the day he was born, it seemed like. 

A week passed before something new happened. He heard a noise, someone crawling around in the walls. 

A little afraid, but mostly eager to see someone (he’d never felt lonely before; it was new and it was terrifying all on its own--was he going to be alone for the rest of his life?), he scrambled to his feet and went to find out who was in his house. 

It wasn’t a someone. 

He knew all about the rats that sometimes came into his home. His owner had once set out live traps for them and warned Rus to stay far away from them. They were dangerous. 

He had never once had any reason to doubt his owner, but he wondered now if he might be able to make friends with the furry beast. He carefully walked up to it, watching as its nose twitched and it looked around for some tasty crumbs. 

It turned to look at him then, with wide black eyes and huge front teeth. It let out a horrifying screech and began to scurry toward him. 

Rus tried to hold his ground. He reached out to it, palms out.    


“hey, hey, calm down. i’m not gonna hurt you.”

The rat slowed down as it got closer, and Rus breathed a sigh of relief. 

“hey there, little guy. well, you’re not little, are ya?” He laughed at himself and reached out to try to pet it. It was kind of cute with its brown fur and little white whiskers. “we could be good friends,” he offered.

The rat sniffed his hand for a moment before it suddenly sat up on its hind feet and grabbed his arm, pulling him too quickly for him to react and bit him hard on the shoulder. 

Rus screamed and punched the rat in the eye, causing it to let go and screech again. He scrambled backward even as the rat reached out to him again, this time grabbing his leg. It went to bite him again, and he kicked at its nose with his other foot. 

Twisting around, he managed to get to his feet and ran for it. He could hear the rat’s claws on the wood as it scampered after him, chasing him down. He screamed again, driven by fear, and ran faster than he thought himself capable of. 

He made it outside. He’d never been outside without his owner before. The day was bright with the summer sun shining down. Rus didn’t give himself even a second to appreciate it as he ran, convinced that the rat was still chasing him. He managed to look back only to confirm that it had followed him. With another shriek of terror, he pushed himself further.

Into a small opening of the neighbor’s basement window. 

He stopped short just before he fell off the edge of the window sill to the carpeted floor beneath, his arms out to his sides for balance. He glanced behind him to see the rat still advancing. Shit. He had a decision to make. 

In the room, several human children were playing a video game. One of them was sitting on a bean bag chair that was positioned against the wall under the window. Maybe he could jump down unnoticed?

He didn’t have much choice. The rat was only getting closer. He glanced behind again to see it was almost within reach. With a shriek, he leapt from the window sill.

He landed with a soft thud on the bean bag.

The kid shot up out of surprise, looking down at Rus with a mix of humor and shock on his freckled face. 

“Hey Thomas!” he shouted. “Look at this; I think it’s that bitty you keep talking about.”

And then the rat fell down, landing just beside Rus. 

The kid screamed and kicked the bean bag. “Rat!” he shrieked. “A fucking rat!”

Rus sailed through the air, the rat once again beside him. In a moment of pure delirium, Rus wondered what the rat was thinking now as it looked at him, both of them seeming to hover in mid air.

They both hit the ground a few feet from the bean bag, Rus tumbling over the carpet. 

All five of the kids in the room surrounded them, screaming about the rat. One of them lifted a foot as if she was going to stomp on them. Another kid stopped her.

The rat, finally abandoning the idea of eating Rus as a snack, took off running. The kids all shrieked and followed it, one of them calling out for their parents. 

Rus was finally alone once again, his soul pounding so hard he was honestly surprised it was still working. He took only a few minutes to breathe before he decided he needed to find a way to get back home. 

He looked around the room for a minute before he found what he was looking for--a crack in the corner of the wall big enough to let him squeeze through and into the walls. There, he could search for the exit without being seen and taken in as a pet. 

* * *

Rus was starving. 

After the adrenaline from earlier had worn off, he was left feeling so weak he had to sit and recover for a while. As he did, his soul’s lack of energy began making itself known.

He hadn’t eaten properly since the afternoon his owner died. Sure, he’d found bits of food around and had snacked on the sugary treats they had once said were bad for him, but he hadn’t had any ham sandwiches or burgers or even fish sticks. 

Knowing he couldn’t let himself sit there and starve to death, Rus got to his feet and trudged on. He just hoped he didn’t run into another rat. 

A few hours later, he was almost certain that this house had no exits and that he was well and truly lost. 

He was almost ready to let himself be seen by the humans just to have a chance at getting something to eat. Even a damn cracker would be welcome.

But then he saw something out of the corner of his eye, a movement too fast to see what it was. 

His soul pulsed with fear. It was another rat; he was sure of it. And this time he didn’t have the energy to outrun it.

He was going to die. 

Instinct kicked in and he ran anyway, self-preservation his only ally as he tried to make his way back to the room where the kids had been. 

And then he was tackled, shoved to the ground with hard hands. He tried to fight his way free, but his attacker was too strong. They held him tightly down, his shoulders and face pressed into the hard wood of the floor and his legs held down, his arms pinned behind his back.

“Who are you and what do you want?” A sharp voice demanded. 

That wasn’t a rat. 

Rus struggled to turn and see who was holding him, but the hands at his shoulder and neck only pressed down harder. He whimpered with pain and gave up trying to move. 

“Answer my question if you don’t want me to permanently disable you!”

“m’name’s rus,” he managed to mumble, his face still pressed the floor. “i wanna go home.”

His answer seemed to stun his attacker for a moment. The hands holding him down let up just enough to let Rus breathe easier. 

“What do you mean you want to go home?”

His situation was finally starting to dawn on him. He’d been captured. Whoever was holding him down was obviously much stronger than he was. He’d heard of rogue bitties before, monsters who had decided they didn’t need owners and instead mooched off humans without giving their companionship in return. 

Rus had always thought it was incredibly selfish of them. His owner had once expressed pity for them, but also warned Rus to stay away if he ever ran into them. Some of them could be mean, craving violence simply for the sake of violence. 

As he sucked in a breath, he really hoped this wasn’t one of those monsters.

“i mean i ran away...from a rat...it was going to kill me. please don’t hurt me,” he finally sobbed, giving in to the desperate need to go back to when his owner was still alive. He just wanted to see them again.

The monster on top of him finally got up. “I’m not going to hurt you as long as you’re not here to steal my resources or convince me to be a  _ pet _ .” He spat the last word as if it were a curse, something that tasted sour as he spoke it.

Rus managed to look up. The bitty before him was another skeleton, this one with sharp teeth, crimson red eye lights, and a scar bisecting his left socket. He was dressed all in black from head to foot with a utility belt around his hips. On the belt hung a variety of tools including a flashlight, two different types of knives, a small hatchet, pliers, some rope, and several other things Rus couldn’t identify.

“i don’t want to do either of those things,” Rus said softly. He hauled himself to his feet. “but...do you think i could ask you for some food? just a little bit? or maybe where i could find something to eat?”

The other monster narrowed his sockets and crossed his arms. “You don’t want to steal my resources, yet you want me to feed you. Interesting logic you have there.”

Rus sighed. “i just need something little; something to help my magic restore itself. you don’t have to give me anything of yours; if you can just tell me how to get to the kitchen, i can figure it out on my own.”

He watched as the scarred skeleton looked him over from head to toe, silent in his observation. Rus crossed his arms over his middle, feeling a bit too vulnerable. 

“You look terrible,” he finally said. “How long have you been living on your own?”

The question brought up the memory of his owner’s death. He wouldn’t cry, not here, but his soul ached in a way he wasn’t sure he’d ever be able to get over.

“just over a week,” he answered, looking down at his feet. His tennis shoes--custom made by hand by his owner over ten years ago in his favorite shade of orange--had become scuffed and dirty after running for his life. His hands tightened on his arms as he reminded himself of his resolve not to cry.

The other monster hummed. “How old are you?”

Rus shrugged. “why does that matter?”

“I’m just curious to know how long you were a slave.”

He looked up then, meeting the other’s crimson eye lights with a fury he didn’t even know himself capable of. 

“i was never a  _ slave _ ,” he spat. “i was loved! and i loved my owner back.”

“Oh, please,” the other rolled his eye lights. “They got something out of your indentureship. What did they make you do?” 

“nothing! i was never forced to do anything i didn’t want to do. my owner loved me like an owner should.”

The other scoffed. “You must have been brainwashed then. Did they love you sexually?”

Rus gasped, stepping back. “how dare you!” He had heard of those types of relationships, and his owner had always expressed remorse, hoping that the bitty involved had consented. “my owner would never-- _ ever _ \--suggest such a horrible thing! i was always safe, do you hear me? always.” 

That time the other monster took a moment to look him over again, his face unreadable. “You’re lucky then,” he finally mumbled, his voice stoic and cold. “Come with me; I’ll show you how to get some food.”

Rus didn’t move as the other started to walk away. After a few steps, he turned to see Rus still standing where he’d left him. 

“Are you coming?”

“i’m not sure i should. how can i trust someone who would think my owner could be so horrible? besides, i don’t even know your name.”

“I never said you should trust me. I simply offered to show you where to find food. And my name is Edge.” He shifted his weight and settled a hand on his hip. “You don’t have to follow me, but I’m not going to bring anything to you. If you choose not to come, you’re on your own.”

Rus swallowed. The idea of being left on his own was terrifying, even more so than following a stranger. He finally nodded and stepped forward to follow Edge. 

* * *

By the time they made it to a small opening in the wall, Rus was certain he was going to get sick. He’d used up too much of his magic in too short a time, and his illness was going to act up. He was panting and felt nauseous, too hot and yet freezing at the same time. He needed to sit, but Edge didn’t stop even for a second. 

Edge finally did stop and turn to him once they made it to the hole in the wall. Rus took the opportunity to lean against the wall and breathe. 

“Are you okay?” Edge asked. 

Rus shook his head. “i don’t think so,” he wheezed. 

Tentatively, Edge reached out to steady him with a hand on his shoulder. It was the one the rat had bitten, and the pain of Edge’s touch made him suck in a hissing breath and stumble back a step. Edge immediately withdrew his hand and stepped back as well.

“sorry,” Rus mumbled. “it’s not you; the rat bit me.” He smoothed out the folds of his sweatshirt, moving the hood aside to show the tears in the fabric. Deep crimson marrow somehow managed to look pretty against the day-glo orange of his shirt. He just hoped the wound didn’t get infected. He was already in for it enough with his illness.

“Why didn’t you tell me you’d been bitten?” Edge demanded harshly. He strode forward and tugged on Rus’ sweatshirt, trying to move it aside. When that didn’t work, he grunted impatiently. “Take it off.”

Rus gaped. “excuse me?”

“I’m not playing games here, Rus. Take it off and let me see the wound unless you want to deal with the possible infection on your own. Do you have any idea how many fucking diseases those beasts can carry?”

Oh, he knew. Edge had a point. Nodding, he sucked up his discomfort and stripped his sweatshirt. He wasn’t wearing anything under it.

Edge didn’t seem to mind. His eye lights didn’t linger on his naked bones. Instead, he immediately began inspecting the wound. 

It was worse that Rus had expected, and it burned when Edge even lightly touched it. 

“You’re going to need medicine. I have some, back at my camp. You need something to eat right now, don’t you?”

He had no idea how far away Edge’s camp might be, but the mere thought of traveling any further without something to help at least level off his magic was excruciating. 

“yeah, i do.” He figured Edge would just leave him to it. He’d said he could find something himself if Edge would just show him the kitchen, and he’d done that. 

Instead, Edge nodded. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.”

Before Rus could argue, Edge slipped through the crack and disappeared. Rus tried to watch and see what he was doing, but he moved too fast, already out of sight. Instead of venturing out and risking being seen, he turned and sat down on the wooden floor, holding his sweatshirt tight to his chest.

He really hoped Edge didn’t get caught. 

Less than fifteen minutes later, Edge came back through the crack with an armful of kitty kibble. 

“I know it’s not exactly palatable, but it will help your magic,” he explained as he handed a chunk to Rus. “Eat it up. I have better food at my camp.”

Rus furrowed his brow. “i don’t want to take your resources.”

Edge scoffed. “You’re going to die if you don’t.”

He shivered. “jeez, you don’t have to be so blunt about it.”

That time Edge just shrugged, crunching on his own piece of kibble. 

Rus’ soul eagerly accepted the food even if his tongue wasn’t a fan. After Rus had eaten three pieces and Edge two, Edge tucked the remaining two pieces into a pocket on his utility belt. 

“We’ll hold onto those in case you need a pick-me-up on the way to my camp. Are you ready?”

He was feeling a little better, less dizzy. He nodded and accepted Edge’s outstretched hand, letting Edge help hoist him to his feet. He took a moment to slip his hoodie back on.

“how far is your camp?” he asked as they began walking. 

“Not far. I stay close enough to the kitchen that I can easily make a run for food if I miscalculate what I need.”

It turned out that Edge’s version of ‘not far’ and Rus’ version were two very different things. They’d only made it halfway when Rus started feeling dizzy again. Edge didn’t even ask; he just took a piece of kibble from the pouch and handed it to him before sitting on a nearby cable. Rus sat next to him and tried not to feel like he was being watched as he ate.

By the time they made it to Edge’s camp, Rus was ready for a nap. Judging by the way Edge eyed him, warily sizing him up and probably determining how likely Rus was to make a grab for anything useful and run, a nap was a long way away. 

“I’m faster than you,” Edge said blandly. “And stronger, at least in your current condition.”

Rus rolled his eye lights. “i’m not going to do anything stupid,” he snapped. “honestly, even if i was planning on it, i’m too damn tired to try. which, by the way, i was not planning on it.”

He nodded. “Okay. Come in, then.”

Edge’s camp was a small room surrounded by moderately sturdy steel panels. The opening had been covered by a few hanging sheets of fabric, all dark colors like red or black, one of them even a deep forest green. Edge lifted one of the sheets aside and stepped inside, holding it open for Rus. 

Rus stepped in, and his mouth fell open.

The space had been set up beautifully with a woven rug in the middle of the floor, a long couch that probably doubled as Edge’s bed near the far side, and a set of shelves that held all kinds of trinkets and tools, food and other supplies. A small refrigerator sat on top of one of the shorter shelves, and beside it was a pot belly stove. In the middle of the room was a table with two chairs tucked neatly under it. All around them, a string of white Christmas lights had been set up to provide illumination.

Edge pulled out one of the chairs from the table and gestured for Rus to sit. He did, still looking around. 

Behind the couch was a large area with blankets and cushions--Rus had been wrong about the couch being Edge’s bed--and a beautiful wooden armoire. 

“this is more like a house than a camp,” Rus commented. He had been expecting not much more than a fire pit and a lidded box for supplies. 

“It’s not a house,” Edge said testily. “I call it a camp because it could be gone tomorrow. I can and will move on when necessary.”

Rus thought that was sad. “how long have you lived here?”

He watched as Edge pulled a locked box from one of the shelves and carried to the table. He sat next to Rus and pulled a ring of keys from his utility belt, taking a moment to find the right key to unlock the box before speaking again. 

“Roughly three years.”

“wow. that’s...kind of a long time, isn’t it? not exactly temporary.” Then again, what did Rus know about life on the move? Maybe three years was a short amount of time.

Edge looked at him, his face once again unreadable. “You never did tell me how long you spent with your owner.”

“Twenty-six years,” Rus said, once again feeling pangs of loss eating at his soul. 

“Why did you leave? How did the rat get you?” Edge asked as he rummaged through the box.

Rus sucked in a deep breath, silently convincing himself not to cry. “they died,” was all he could manage. 

Edge stopped, looking at Rus for a moment with wide sockets. He hadn’t expected that, then. Perhaps he had expected something more sinister, some reason for Rus to run from his owner. 

“Oh. I’m...sorry to hear that.” He finally found what he was looking for and pulled a small pouch from the box along with a mortar and pestle. He set the box aside and poured some herbs from the pouch into the mortar before using the pestle to crush them up into a fine powder.

Both skeletons were silent as Edge worked. Once he’d sufficiently crushed the herbs, he took something else from the box, some kind of ointment, and squeezed a little into the mortar, along with a little bit of water. He then turned to Rus and gestured for him to scoot closer. 

“This may sting a little, but I promise it will help.” 

Rus nodded and once again removed his sweatshirt. The medicine did sting, and he clenched his mouth shut to keep from whining. Once Edge had slathered on a good amount, he settled a hand on top, hovering just over the wound without touching. Rus watched curiously as his hand began to glow red.

“what are you doing?” he asked, more curious than he was concerned. If Edge was going to kill him, he’d had plenty of opportunities so far. 

“Healing magic, of course. This will help speed up the healing process and suck out any infection that may have already started to take root.” 

That was cool. “how did you learn to do that?”

Edge met his eye lights, something sad yet angry in his. “Let me guess: your precious owner never helped you to develop your magic?”

Rus balked. “of course they did, but my magic has always been unpredictable and short-lived. i can’t use a lot of it; what i’ve got has to be used for living, not stuff like that. they really did try to help me, but every time i tried to learn i would get sick.”

He seemed surprised again. “Your owner was something else, weren’t they?” he mused. “Regardless, healing is something all of us monsters are capable of. Maybe I’ll show you sometime.”

“i’ve told you before, my owner loves me.” He realized what he said and looked down at the table. “loved,” he corrected, “they loved me.”

Edge stood up, and Rus listened to him as he opened the fridge and moved about the room for a moment. When he came back, he set a plate of vegetables along with a slice of meat pie in front of him. 

“Eat. When you’re done, you’re welcome to sleep on the couch for a bit if you feel safe enough to do so. We can talk about getting you home later, if you wish.”

He then went to work getting his own plate of food. Rus picked up his fork and stabbed a slice of carrot. Some day, he was going to have to come to terms with the loss of his owner. Today was not that day. 

After they’d both eaten, Edge supplied a few blankets and a pillow for Rus to curl up with on the couch. It was long enough for him to stretch out on, but he decided not to. Just in case Edge decided he wanted to sit down. 

“You will be safe here,” Edge said sternly, turning to a shelf to pick out a book. “I’ll keep watch.” He then sat on the floor in front of the couch near Rus’ feet, crossed his legs, and began reading. 

Rus was too exhausted to argue. He nuzzled down into the pillow, marvelling for a moment at the heady, spicy scent of it, then closed his eyes and fell asleep in no time. 

* * *

Rus woke to the sensation of being shaken, a voice calling his name. 

His vision was blurry when he opened his sockets, his face wet.

“Rus, wake up.” Edge’s voice was clearer now, no longer muffled by dreams. “You’re okay. You’re safe.” 

Only then did he realize that he’d been crying out in his dreams, desperate to find his owner and escape danger. His soul ached with a longing need to see his owner again, even just hear their voice. He looked at Edge, met his eye lights.

“safe,” he repeated sluggishly. Yes, he was safe. He sucked in a breath. “thanks...for waking me up.”

Edge just nodded.

“how long have you been...without an owner?” he asked.

Edge settled himself on the floor in front of Rus, his legs curled under him. “Close to seven years.”

Rus nodded. “did you run away?”

“I did. The first owners I had weren’t so bad. There were two of them, both children. Their parents weren’t so fond of me; they were always saying I should have a muzzle so I couldn’t bite anyone.” Edge shivered at the memory, and Rus shivered with him. “I never found out what happened. One day they just stopped caring for me. I was kept in a dark room, locked in a cage where I couldn’t even scrounge for myself. I didn’t eat for a week. Finally, one of the children came back. The light was blinding when she turned it on. She’d been crying, and all the excuse she had for me was that she was sorry. That was it. Then I was shipped off to a new owner.”

Edge sighed and looked at Rus for a moment before he continued. “While I am now glad that I didn’t die, at the time I wished those kids had just let me starve to death. I don’t want to talk about that other owner, but let me just tell you that not every human out there is as good as your owner was. I was lucky to escape with my sanity.”

“can i ask how long you were with them?” Rus asked. He didn’t know why he was curious. Maybe he just wanted something other than his own circumstances to think about. 

“Five years. I was with the children for four years.”

Rus nodded, then something occurred to him. “wait, how old are you? you look older than a teenager.”

Edge snorted. “I’m twenty-two. I wasn’t adopted until I was six years old. Nobody wants a sharp-toothed gremlin like me.” He gnashed his teeth in a show of how dangerous he probably could be if he wanted.

Rus couldn’t imagine that; a child being left alone in a pet store. He’d been adopted at only a year old, almost the moment he was made available. He didn’t remember anything about his life before he’d gone to live with his owner. He remembered seeing the commercials that implored people to adopt, however. The looks on bitties faces who had been in a shop filled with other, more adoptable bitties. They always looked so cramped, several bitties housed together in a single cage. Some of them were children, but most were already grown, some scarred and some not. 

His owner had felt bad for them. They had talked about the possibility of adopting another bitty, but Rus liked it when it was just the two of them. They hadn’t argued, only smiled and agreed that they also liked the two of them.

“you’re not a gremlin,” Rus said softly. “by the way, i never thanked you for helping me. so, thank you.”

Edge looked at him and nodded. “You’re welcome. Are you feeling any better?”

Rus sat up then, stretching out his bones until his joints popped. Edge moved to sit next to him, far enough away to give them both their space.

“i am feeling better. my shoulder still hurts, though.” He rolled it, testing, and winced as a sharp pain shot through his bones. 

“It will, for a while. Listen, I know you probably don’t want to talk or even really think about this, but I gather from what you said--rather, screamed--while you were sleeping that your owner died in the house you call home. Do you really want to go back there? Have any other humans moved in yet?”

Rus stared at his lap and the woven blanket that covered him for a long moment. He couldn’t say that he didn’t want to go home. It sounded like he didn’t want his life back. Instead, he cleared his throat and said, “nobody else has moved in.”

“You need humans to gather supplies from,” Edge said softly. 

He couldn’t think about belonging to anyone else. What if his next owner was like one of Edge’s past owners? But he also didn’t know how to live like Edge did. He’d never be able to stay hidden and scrounge without being caught. 

Another thought dawned on him. Edge had gotten kitty kibble earlier. These humans had a cat. If a rat had nearly killed him, a cat would surely get the job done. 

Edge seemed to know exactly what Rus was thinking. 

“I can teach you how to survive,” he offered.

Rus looked over at him. “but what about me taking your supplies?”

Edge waved a hand at him, dismissing his concern. “There is a very big difference between stealing things that are mine and taking what I offer. Gathering enough for two monsters won’t be difficult, especially once you learn how to help. For now, you’d likely be more of a hindrance, but we can change that easily. What do you say?”

Clenching his jaw, Rus thought about the deal Edge was offering. It wasn’t even much of a deal, more of an offer to become his roommate. 

“what will i owe you in return?” he asked carefully.

“Companionship.” He shifted uncomfortably. “By that I mean friendship,” he added hastily. “Nothing more. As resourceful as I am, life has been lonely without friends.”

Rus knew that to be painfully true. He could use a friend. He wasn’t likely to survive long without one, and Edge seemed to be a good fit for the job. 

He smiled and nodded. “okay.”

Edge smiled back, only one corner of his mouth lifting slightly. “We’ll start tomorrow. You need some better sleep. I have a tea that can help, but I understand if you don’t feel comfortable drinking it.”

Rus furrowed his brow. “why wouldn’t i?”

Edge clenched his jaw. “I suppose you wouldn’t know what it feels like to be drugged. The effects of the tea can sometimes leave you feeling woozy. It’s not a sleeping potion; you won’t be left with the inability to wake up. I promise you, Rus, I am not trying to take advantage of you.”

The thought hadn’t even crossed his mind. Curiously, he wondered if it should have. Still, the look in Edge’s sockets made him want to trust.

“i believe you,” he said, reaching out to gently touch Edge’s shoulder. Edge drew away, and he let his hand fall back to his lap. “will i be able to sleep without nightmares?”

“Yes. I’ve yet to experience any dreams when I take this tea. Let me get it started.” He got up, and Rus watched as he started a fire in the pot belly stove, then filled a tea kettle with water and set it on top. 

He then got a cup down from the shelves and unlocked his box to dig out another pouch. This one was dark blue. Edge poured some herbs from the pouch into some kind of strange double-sided spoon and set it in the cup. Once the water was hot, he took the kettle from the stove and poured it into the cup.

Rus got up to see better. “what is that spoon thing?” he asked, reaching out to see it. 

Edge took it from his grasp. “It’s an infuser; it will hold the leaves while they steep so we don’t have to strain them out.”

Oh. He’d always used tea bags, but he supposed this made sense. He nodded and let Edge finish making the tea. 

“i don’t suppose you have any honey?” he asked hopefully. 

“Actually, I do.” He turned and plucked a small jar from the shelves behind them. “Please limit yourself to one or two spoonfuls.”

Rus nodded. “thanks.”

Once the tea was ready, he carefully took his cup back to the couch and took a sip. It was a little spicy, contrasting well with the sweetness from the honey, and it soothed his rattled soul. He watched idly as Edge cleaned up the space. 

All too soon, he was feeling drowsy again. He managed to swallow down the rest of his tea before Edge swooped in and took the cup from him. He was grateful; he might have dropped it otherwise. He laid down, somehow aware of Edge covering him with the blanket, and was out within seconds. 

* * *

When Rus woke again, he felt rested and refueled. He yawned and stretched before sitting up. 

The space was dark, the lights Edge had strung up around his camp were out. He could still see just fine, and looked around to find Edge. He was nowhere. 

Turning around, he looked over the back of the couch to see Edge sleeping on his makeshift bed. He was curled under the blankets, his utility belt hanging on a hook that protruded from the steel wall. 

Rus smiled to himself and laid back down. He was never one to miss an opportunity for rest, even if he had just woken up from a nap. 

His thoughts did begin to wander, however, and he found himself thinking about this new situation with Edge. He didn’t know the monster, but somehow he trusted him. He had already proven himself, Rus thought. He’d taken Rus under his wing and essentially saved his life. 

Besides, Rus didn’t really have much of a choice. He could strike out on his own, try to either get adopted by someone else or live on his own. Either option was terrifying. 

No, he’d take his chances with Edge. 

Hours passed before Edge woke up. He stretched and got up, fastening his utility belt around his hips before aknowledging Rus. 

“How did you sleep?” he asked as he shuffled over to the fridge. 

“like a log. thanks again for that tea; it really helped.”

Edge nodded. “You’re welcome. I’m glad to hear it helped. Are you hungry?” He pulled out a few small, foil-wrapped packages and set them on the table. 

“yes, i am. what’s for breakfast?”

He watched as Edge started a fire in the pot belly stove, then turned to open one of the packages. Inside was a heap of scrambled eggs. 

“I have some bread, ham, and eggs, so I thought I’d make us some sandwiches.”

Rus didn’t bother asking how he’d managed to get that kind of food by scrounging. All he cared about was that it was here and he was ready for it. 

“that sounds awesome.”

After breakfast, Edge decided Rus needed clean clothing; he’d deduced that Rus had been wearing the same things for over a week now. Normally, it would irritate Rus to be in anything for so long, but now he just couldn’t care. He did, however, accept the clothing Edge let him borrow until they could get his pants and sweatshirt washed. 

Then it was time to explore, Edge said. He’d take Rus around the house and show him the places to avoid along with the safe spaces where he could quickly run to gather soap or anything else he might need. 

They didn’t return to Edge’s camp until lunchtime. Edge had managed to gather some fresh fruit from the kitchen, and he added it to the menu as he served up some ham sandwiches with mayonnaise and mustard. 

After they’d eaten, it was back out to learn more about where he would be living. 

Once again, they didn’t return to camp until dinner time. Rus was exhausted. He ate slowly, giving his soul time to absorb the food without further agitating it. Edge made him some more sleepy tea and gave him a pair of flannel pants to wear as pajamas. Shortly after, he was asleep on the couch. 

* * *

Weeks passed in much the same fashion as the first day. As they explored the house, they talked and learned more about each other. The wound on Rus’ shoulder healed fine, and the healing magic Edge had used throughout the process had kept Rus from getting too sick after using his own magic so much. 

A month had passed before Edge decided Rus was ready to join him on a supply run. They needed more food, so they were going to the kitchen. 

Rus was nervous. Hell, he was scared out of his mind. He was utterly convinced he was going to screw this up for Edge somehow, or even get caught. Maybe even killed. 

“Take deep breaths, Rus,” Edge told him, a hand resting between his shoulder blades. “You’re going to be fine. Just relax and trust what I’ve taught you.”

Rus nodded. He could do that. 

Edge was an excellent teacher once Rus let go of his biases and allowed himself to learn. It was hard, at first, to think about taking things from the humans without offering any kind of companionship in return. However, the more he thought about it and watched Edge, the more he realized that he was okay with it. 

The family that lived in the house had plenty of supplies. They weren’t struggling for anything like some of the other families Rus had heard about from his owner. Some human families struggled even to feed their own children, and he was sure he wouldn’t be able to take from them. But this family? They had an abundance of resources. 

“Remember what we’re after?” Edge asked, finally removing his hand. He wasn’t big on physical contact, but he’d always offered a comforting touch when Rus needed it most. 

Rus nodded again and repeated the list of things they needed. Ham, bread, milk if they could find it, and maybe even some eggs. 

“Very good. What do you do if you see the cat?”

Oh stars. Rus had forgotten about the cat. What did he do? He closed his sockets and took a deep breath. Edge had taught him this. What should he do?

“don’t be stupid by climbing on anything; the cat is faster and can jump or climb better than i can. if there’s a way to get under something too small for him to get me, dive for it. otherwise, run like hell back into the wall.”

Edge nodded. “It seems like you’ll survive this. Come on.”

He didn’t waste any more time as he slipped through the crack. 

“edge, wait!” Rus tried to grab at his sleeve, but he was already gone. Dammit. Rus sucked in a quick breath for courage and followed.

The human family had eaten their breakfast and already dispersed, leaving a plate in the middle of the counter with extra scrambled eggs and a slice of ham. Rus had hoped for that. 

The smallest child, still only a baby herself, almost always had a small cup of milk that she never touched. The skeletons would take their milk from there, but never if she had been convinced to drink a little, leaving her slobber floating around in it.

Using the containers they’d brought with them, Edge and Rus worked diligently to take what they could. They loaded the containers in a bag that Edge then carried. He was stronger, after all, and far more experienced in running with baggage. 

He followed after Edge, nearly calling out to him to slow down. He was too fast sometimes, already disappearing back into the wall before Rus was even halfway there. 

A loud thud caught his attention. Against his better judgement, he turned to see that the cat had jumped up onto the counter, likely curious about the noises and movements the skeletons made. Or, perhaps just curious to see what treats she could get for herself after the family was gone. 

Rus managed to keep from screaming as he turned and booked it toward the wall. He wasn’t fast enough. With a swipe of her paw, the cat sent him flying off the counter. He landed on the linoleum floor, tumbling a few times. He was pretty sure he’d felt, if not heard, a crack somewhere in his body. He didn’t have time to test his bones; the cat jumped down to chase after him. 

He got to his feet as quickly as he could and scrambled for the nearest hole in the wall, this one in the corner. It was almost too small for him, but he knew from experience that he could squeeze through if he tried. 

He made it. His soul pounding with adrenaline, he turned to see the cat sniffing and pawing at the crack. Loud, thudding footsteps alerted both him and the cat to an approaching human. 

The teenage boy came in and stroked the cat’s fur as she mrrp’ed at him. 

“Oh, good girl!” he coo’ed. “Did you chase one of those mice into the wall?”

Mice? Aw, shit. Edge had warned him about those, too. Not as big as rats, sure, but equally as dangerous. 

He didn’t wait around to see if any were nearby. Instead, he started to make his way back home and to let Edge know that he was okay. 

After a quick inventory of his bones, he was pleasantly surprised to find that nothing had broken when he’d landed on the floor. He’d be bruised for sure, but not much more. 

On his way back home, something caught his attention. It was a smell that he knew from his time with his owner, but something he hadn’t had in a while. 

Cheese. 

Edge wasn’t a fan of the stuff, and so he’d never spent much time or energy in trying to get it. Rus had never pushed it or even asked for it. Now that he was helping with the gathering, however, maybe he could grab a bit for himself. Surely Edge would let him keep some in the fridge. 

He found the source of the smell--a decently large chunk sat on the floor. He really shouldn’t go after it. He should wait until he could get something that hadn’t collected dirt and dust and whatever else from the floor. 

Oh, but he couldn’t resist that smell. Just a nibble wouldn’t hurt him. He could even break away the outer surface to make sure what he took wasn’t contaminated. 

The moment he began tearing at the chunk, something loud thudded around him and a light started to flash. He ran for it, leaving the cheese behind, only to run face-first into a clear plastic wall. 

Logically, he knew he was screwed. He’d been duped. Trapped. 

He panicked anyway, running around the small enclosure of the live trap to find any possible way out. He could stick his hand out through the holes that he had somehow overlooked before, but they were too small to fit his head or body through. 

An hour later, he finally gave up trying to escape. He thought about Edge, wondering if he even knew Rus was still alive. Maybe he thought Rus had gotten eaten by the cat. 

Maybe he was happy about it. 

Now that was just stupid, Rus thought. Edge wouldn’t have put so much work into teaching him how to survive if he was going to be happy the moment Rus was no longer a burden. He still couldn’t help but imagine Edge sitting at home eating his scrambled eggs and thinking about how his life could go back to normal now. 

Two more hours passed. Rus sat in the corner of the trap and glared at the cheese. If only he’d been smarter. Edge had warned him about distractions and things that seemed too good to be true. 

Hell, he’d even seen his owner set out live traps before. He knew what they looked like! 

But this one had been so well hidden in the dim light of the wall. All Rus had seen was the cheese until the light atop the cage started flashing. 

Suddenly, a bright light shone in his face and the cage started moving. He was nearly dumped onto the side of it as a human pulled the trap out from the wall and set it up on the counter. 

“Be careful with it, Mom! You don’t want to hurt it!” One of the human children, a female girl of probably nine years old, bounced excitedly by the counter. 

“Oh my!” The mother gasped. “It’s...that’s not a mouse.”

“Holy shit!” the teenage son swore. 

The mother gave him a look. “Mind your language, Thomas.”

Thomas looked almost ashamed. “Sorry, Mom.” He leaned in a little, his dark eyes sparkling with joy. “I think he’s scared.”

Mom pushed Thomas back a little and settled a hand atop the cage. “Of course he’s scared; wouldn’t you be?” She then turned her attention to him and smiled. “Hey there. I’m sorry you got caught in our mouse trap. Are you okay?”

Rus swallowed and looked out over the mother and two children. Slowly, he nodded. 

The little girl clapped. “Can we keep him?!”

Oh, god no. He had to find a way out of here.

“Of course not,” Thomas said, though his voice wasn’t harsh. “Remember, Hannah, he has a friend out there waiting for him to get home.”

Hannah’s face fell, but she nodded. “Yeah, I remember. But he’s cute.”

Horror settled in his bones before he could truly comprehend what they’d said. “you...you know about edge?” He had to let him know. He climbed to his feet and, knowing it was futile, tried yet again to escape through the air holes along the side of the container. 

“Hey, hey, calm down,” Thomas said, turning the cage so he could see Rus’ face. Rus stared into his eyes for a second. “Yeah, we know about your friend. We’re not going to hurt either of you, okay? This trap was meant for mice, not you. We’re gonna let you go.”

Rus stopped struggling, arm and shoulder dangling out of the hole. He slowly slipped back inside and nodded. “can i go now then?”

“Can I ask a question first?” Mom asked.

Reluctantly, Rus nodded. He might not give her a truthful answer, but she could ask. 

“Do you guys need anything? I mean, I know you’ve been getting the stuff we’ve set out for you, but it’s hard to guess what you actually need.”

That...was unexpected. 

“You’ve been setting stuff out?” Why would they do that?

Mom nodded. “Yes. Shortly after Thomas started seeing your friend...Edge, was it?...he started leaving things out for him. It was pretty obvious he doesn’t want to be found.”

Rus nodded. “he doesn’t like humans.” Why was he saying that? That was dangerous; they could take it the wrong way!

Thomas leaned in a little bit more. “That’s okay; as long as you guys are doing okay. So, what do you guys need?”

He thought about it for a second. What did they need? Edge’s rope was getting a bit trashed. A newer, better one would be nice. Then again, he should probably let Edge make that decision. He sighed and looked back up at Thomas. 

“can i talk to edge before i say anything? he’s the one who keeps track of what we have and what we need.”

Mom smiled. “Oh, of course, dear. Here, let me open this for you.” She fiddled with the door for a second before it finally clicked and opened. “Also, would you like some fresh cheese?”

He couldn’t say no to that.

After a quick snack, he made his way back through the hole in the wall and called out to Edge as he got closer to the camp. 

Edge all but flew out through the fabric door and crashed into him, arms wrapping around him in a hard hug. He didn’t say anything for a long moment, just held him close with trembling arms. 

Rus held him back, resting his head on Edge’s shoulder and enjoying the embrace. It was so rare for Edge to initiate this kind of contact. The last time he’d offered more than a touch of his hand was when Rus had broken down, scared and hurt and wishing he could see his owner again. That had been more than two weeks ago. 

“I thought I lost you,” Edge finally whispered. “I thought you’d been killed. I searched for you; I did. But I...I’m so sorry I gave up. I’m so sorry.”

Rus shook his head. “it’s okay, edge. i’m okay.” 

Edge finally pulled back, his sockets wet, and Rus’ soul panged with both guilt and empathy. 

“What happened?” Edge asked. “I thought you were right behind me.”

They went inside and sat together on the couch. Rus explained everything, from the cat to the trap and the humans. 

Edge was very quiet. He was still shaking a bit, his fingers trembling in Rus’ hands. 

“They let you go?” he asked, his tone a mix of awe and anger.

Rus swallowed. “yeah. they’re not bad people, edge.”

“They’re humans,” he scoffed. 

“you know not all humans are bad.”

Edge sighed. “And you know that they’re not all good, either. They’re tricking you. They know if they let you go, there’s more of a chance that they could catch the both of us. And wouldn’t that be nice? Two for the price of one.”

Rus closed his sockets. He had hoped that he could convince Edge, but that would be too easy. He knew, somehow, that they were good. If he couldn’t just tell Edge, he’d have to show him. 

“i want you to come with me somewhere tonight,” Rus said softly. “please?”

Edge narrowed his sockets. “Where?”

“to see thomas.”

“Who the hell is Thomas?”

Rus swallowed. “the teenage boy.”

Edge glared that time. “I just told you that they’re trying to capture us both, and you’re insisting that we just go to them like a fucking sacrifice?” He stood up, walking away from Rus. “I get that you and I have different views on humans, but this is stupid.”

Rus was a lot of things, but he wasn’t stupid. He knew this was the right thing to do. He needed Edge to know that the humans were good and would help the both of them get anything they needed without the need to live in a cage. They could come and go as they pleased, even leave the house entirely and move away if they so decided. 

“please, edge?” he tried. 

“Absolutely not. If you want to go live as a slave, then I won’t stop you. I really wanted to believe you liked it here with me, but of course you don’t. Go on, then.” He turned and gestured for Rus to leave. “Get out.”

Rus stared at him, his soul going cold. Edge couldn’t mean that, could he?

“i do like it here with you,” he said, still stunned. “i don’t want to leave.”

Edge scoffed. “Well, I’m not coming with you, so make up your damn mind. It’s me or them.”

It wasn’t a hard choice to make. Rus had faith that the humans would be there for them no matter how much Edge hated them. 

“you,” Rus answered simply. 

Edge watched him for a few long seconds before he finally nodded. “Then I don’t want to hear about this nonsense again. We’re not going to talk to the humans or anything else like it. If you’re not okay with that, you know where the exit is.”

Rus nodded. He was just relieved that Edge wasn’t going to kick him out. 

* * *

Two months later, Edge still hadn’t softened even a little when it came to the humans. He still held no trust of any kind; still hated them. The one and only thing he didn’t hate about them was that he could steal from them. 

Rus was okay with that. He made himself be okay with that. 

He would, however, sneak a note out onto the counter when they needed something not usually left out. Edge never questioned the sudden appearance of paper or medical supplies or even coals for the pot belly stove, only delighted in their availability when they were needed. He never seemed to suspect Rus of communicating with the humans, for which he was grateful. 

Another month and a half passed before their circumstances took a turn for the worse. 

Rus hadn’t seen hide nor hair of any rats since the day he’d run from his old home. That had been nearly six months ago. 

Looking back, it could probably have been blamed on the winter storm that blew outside the night before and rattled the walls so much that Rus and Edge had to huddle together on the bed behind the couch to stay warm. 

Regardless, the sudden appearance of a rat bigger than any Rus had ever seen before, sniffing around their home for the food Edge kept neatly organized on shelves was enough to send him into terrified flashbacks of running for his life. 

His screaming woke Edge, who immediately grabbed the bigger of his knives from his utility belt and leapt over the couch to try to scare the animal away. 

The rat was almost as big as Edge, a full foot in length and covered in stinky black fur. It screeched, not intimidated at all by Edge and his weapon. Instead, it seemed to be antagonized, and rushed forward to attack its assailant.

Rus watched in horror as Edge was mauled. He fought back, tussling with the rat and jamming his knife deep into its fur. Unable to sit back and watch Edge die, he rushed to the utility belt hanging on the hook and pulled out the other knife. It was shorter by almost a half an inch, but it would have to do. 

Gathering his courage, Rus screamed and rushed forward. He slammed the knife into the rat’s back. It shrieked and turned to get to Rus, biting him on the arm and causing him to lose his grip on the knife. It clattered to the floor as Rus screamed and flailed backward, ripping his arm free of the rat’s teeth. 

The distraction had given Edge enough time to make a quick plan and put it into place. He managed to squirm his way out from under the rat and raised his knife over his head. As the rat turned back to him, he brought it down hard, sinking it into the rat’s eye and deep into its skull.

With a final shriek, the rat fell over twitching. 

Both skeletons watched it closely for several long seconds to make sure it wasn’t going to get back up. 

Edge looked up at Rus. “Are you okay?” he managed, his voice gruff. 

Rus nodded. “it got my arm, but i’m okay. you?”

Before he could respond, his injuries seemed to catch up with him. He gasped and fell to his knees. 

“edge?” Rus called. He rushed to Edge’s side, kneeling beside him. “where are you hurt?”

Edge huffed. “Where am I not hurt is a better question.” He winced as he lifted his shirt to reveal a large gash in his ribs, cutting through his sternum. 

Rus had only seen Edge without a shirt once. His ribs were criss-crossed with old, faded scars. Rus never asked about them, knowing Edge wouldn’t want to talk about it. He couldn’t see children making those marks, which meant they were likely from Edge’s second owner. The one who had so completely broken Edge’s trust in humans. 

Edge’s arms and legs were also bleeding from either bites or scratches. 

“you need help,” Rus mumbled. “i can’t...i can’t heal this.”

Edge had been working with him to try to manage his healing magic. He’d been able to help Edge heal minor scrapes and bruises, but this was too much. He just knew he’d fail, and Edge might even die if he didn’t get better help. 

“Yes, you can,” Edge barked. “Just focus.”

Rus shook his head. “no, i mean i can’t heal this. you’re hurt too badly, edge. you know my soul isn’t consistent enough for this.” Damn his uneven soul pulses. He could go strong for a few seconds, but then suddenly bottom out. If Rus wasn’t careful, he’d probably just kill them both trying to heal Edge. 

Edge growled. “Well then I’m just fucked, aren’t I?” He was breathing heavily, leaning on Rus for balance and support. “At least you’ll have plenty of meat for a while. Don’t let the rat go to waste. And please, for the love of all that is sane, don’t go getting yourself trapped by the humans.”

Humans. The humans could help Edge. 

He’d never agree to go. Rus knew he’d probably rather die. 

But...Rus couldn’t let that happen. 

“i won’t,” he lied. He helped Edge to the couch and laid him down. “i’ll be safe, i promise.”

That part wasn’t a lie. He would be safe while he carted Edge’s unconscious body to Thomas’ room. If the music blasting through the walls was any indication, the teenager was home today. He’d know what to do. 

Probably.

“it’ll be okay,” Rus soothed. He took Edge’s hand and squeezed. “you’re not dying yet. go to sleep for a little bit, okay? i’m going to work on cleaning your wounds and i’ll see if i can’t at least heal them enough to stop the bleeding.”

Edge nodded. “Will you make me some tea? The kind to help me sleep?”

Rus’ soul ached at the idea that Edge wanted the tea because he didn’t want to be conscious while he died. Still, he made the tea knowing it would help Edge sleep through Rus’ manhandling. 

Once Edge was well and truly unconscious, Rus set to work making a contraption with the rope and a few other tools to help him carry Edge’s body. 

The trek to Thomas’ room was long, but at least it was somewhat smooth. The music had quieted a little bit as Rus squeezed himself through a crack in the corner. He didn’t hesitate to pull Edge through as well. 

Thomas was sitting on his bed, a drawing pad on his lap as he sketched furiously. 

“help!” Rus called out. “thomas!”

The boy looked up at hearing his name. It didn’t take long for him to notice Rus in the corner, flailing his arms and calling out again. He also seemed to notice Edge laying on the makeshift sled Rus had constructed to carry him. 

“Rus?” Thomas said, slipping off the bed. “What’s going on? You look hurt.” He got down on his hands and knees to inspect Rus. 

Not paying any attention to his own wounds, he pushed Edge a bit closer. 

“he’s just sleeping right now, but we were attacked by a rat. he’s badly hurt, and i can’t heal him. please...thomas...i can’t lose him.” Rus was close to tears, his soul pleading for help. 

Thomas nodded and reached out to carefully scoop Edge up. Rus stepped up on his arm and took hold of his sleeve for balance as Thomas carried them both to his bed. 

“I’m not sure I know what to do, but my mom will. She works at a hospital for bitties.” He gave Rus an encouraging smile. “She’ll be home in a few hours. Let me call her real quick and find out what I should do until then.”

Rus just sat next to Edge while Thomas talked on the phone. He only felt marginally guilty for going behind his back like this, but he couldn’t let him die. He just couldn’t.

Thomas came back with a few items and instructions for Rus on how to help him clean and bandage Edge’s wounds. 

Hours later, after Mom had looked them both over--Edge was still sleeping so she did what she could for him until he woke up--Edge and Rus were given a box to sleep in to keep them safe.

Rus didn’t sleep. He had hoped, perhaps foolishly, that Thomas would be able to help Edge quickly and he’d be able to take him back home before he woke up. As it was, Edge was going to wake up in a box and know that Rus had betrayed him. He spent as much time as he could with Edge’s skull on his lap, knowing full well that this was likely the last time he’d see him. Once Edge was healed and released back home, he’d demand Rus leave. 

And Rus couldn’t blame him for it. 

The moment Edge stirred, lifting his head up and grunting, Rus stood up and took a few steps away. He’d thought about the possibility of Edge being so angry he’d attack. 

Edge opened his sockets slowly, looking around. He whimpered, and Rus’ soul shivered at the sound. Scared and angry, Edge would undoubtedly hate him now. 

And yet, the moment Edge’s eye lights landed on him, Edge seemed to relax. 

“Rus?” he asked, his voice rough. “What happened? Where are we?”

Rus swallowed. “i’m sorry, edge. i’m so sorry. i just couldn’t...i couldn't let you die.” He cowered in the corner and wrapped his arms around himself. 

Edge sat up slowly, hissing at the pain the movement caused, and took in his surroundings with more scrutiny. He looked down at himself, at the bandages that covered his body. 

“You took me to the humans,” he growled, all accusation. 

Rus whimpered. 

“Of all the stupid things you’ve done since I met you, Rus, this one tops them all. How could you do this to me?” He stood on shaky legs, one hand reaching out for balance against the cardboard wall. “How?”

Rus shrank further into himself. “how could i just let you die?” he asked, his voice barely a whisper. 

“Death would be better than this!” he tried to shout, tried to gesture with his left arm around the box. His voice cracked and his arm was in a sling that prevented him from swinging it around the way he undoubtedly wanted to. 

Rus couldn’t imagine how scared Edge must be. He must be thinking of all the horrible things that were going to happen to him now that he was going to be someone’s pet. 

But he wasn’t. Thomas and Mom and everyone else would set them free once they were healed enough to be on their own. Hell, they’d offered to let Rus return to the walls, but he’d insisted he needed to stay with Edge. They’d let him, not even so much as giving him a frown at the suggestion. 

“it’s gonna be okay,” Rus said softly. As scared as he was knowing that his friendship with Edge was over, he couldn’t help but try to soothe him. And it would be okay, for Edge at least. Rus would have to find his way on his own, but Edge had already been on his own for so long. He didn’t need Rus like Rus needed him. 

“How the fuck is it gonna be okay?” Edge cried. 

“Hey guys,” Thomas’ voice rang out as he burst through the door to his room. “I’m home.” He came up and looked in the box. “Oh, hey, Edge is awake. Hey, dude.”

Edge growled, looking up at Thomas with such malevolence that it made Rus shrink back. 

Thomas wasn’t bothered by it. 

“I’m not gonna hurt you, okay? But, I do need to look at your bandage. Mind if I--”

He reached in the box, and as Rus tried to warn him not to touch Edge, Edge reacted to the hand coming near him. He scrambled backward, falling onto his bandaged arm with a cry of pain. The moment Thomas’ fingers made contact, Edge curled around him and bit down as hard as he could.

Thomas shrieked and pulled back quickly.

“he’s just scared!” Rus screamed out. “don’t punish him!”

Thomas laughed, though Rus wasn’t sure if it was more to ease the pain of having been bitten or if he actually thought something was funny. 

“I’m not gonna punish anyone,” he said calmly, sucking on his wounded finger. He looked at Edge, still curled in a fetal position. “Hey, you’re okay, little dude. We can wait to check your bandages until you feel a little more comfortable. Mom’s good at what she does, so I’m sure you’re fine.”

Edge peeked out from under his arm, looking up at Thomas’ dark eyes. They both stared at each other for a long moment, Thomas calm and Edge challenging. 

“Let me go,” he finally growled. 

Thomas sighed. “Okay, listen. You’re free to go if you really want to, but you were hurt bad. I’m talking ‘brink of death’ bad. Mom really wants you around for a few more days to make sure you’re not gonna get an infection or anything. She’s a doctor who works with bitties, so she knows what she’s doing. Your friend brought you here so we could help you, and we really want to do that.”

Edge was growling again, a steady sound emanating from his chest. “You’re lying. I’m not free to go. The moment I try, you’re going to stop me.”

With a determined nod, Thomas lifted the box down. Very carefully, giving both skeletons time to adjust, he turned the box on its side and set it down on the floor. “Go ahead, Edge. Run free. Just...please come back in a few hours so Mom can check your wounds?”

Rus ran forward when Edge started toward the walls. 

“wait, please,” he begged, hesitant to actually touch him.

Edge turned to him, fury in his eye lights. “You fucking betrayed me,” he snapped. 

“i saved your life!” 

“And what the fuck kind of life would it be if they wanted to experiment on me, huh? Touch me? You have no fucking clue what I’ve been through, and I have no goddamned intention of letting it happen again. That last human who owned me? He was a doctor, too. I didn’t get these scars from sitting in a cute cage getting fed all day long. So yeah, I’m getting out of here while I can.”

That was the most Edge had ever said about his previous owner. 

“Dude…” Thomas breathed. “You think Mom’s gonna run experiments on you? She’d never hurt you.”

Edge jumped out of the box and turned to flip Thomas off. “Fuck you and your fucking mother.”

Then he turned and disappeared through the crack in the corner. 

Rus sighed and looked up at Thomas. “i’m sorry.”

The boy shrugged. “It’s okay. Not your fault. I probably shouldn’t have let him go, but he’s obviously scared we’d force him to stay. Neither of you have to stay; you know that, right?”

Rus nodded. “yeah, i know that.”

“You can go back home with him. It would probably better anyway; he needs someone to watch over him and make sure he doesn’t get sick.”

Like Edge would allow that. Rus shook his head and sat down. “no, i can’t go back with him. he won’t want me to stay there anymore.” He couldn’t help the tears that began to drip down his cheekbones. 

“Do you have anywhere else to go?” Thomas asked. 

Rus shook his head again, not bothering to say anything out loud as he rested his face in his knees and let himself cry. 

Neither said anything again for a long moment. Thomas let Rus cry, only sat down next to the box and rested a hand atop it. 

* * *

Just inside the wall, Edge sat listening to their conversation. Rus wasn’t wrong; Edge didn’t want him there anymore if he was just going to pull this shit. 

And yet...Rus had very obviously saved his life. Thomas and Mom had bandaged him well. His bones hurt from his wounds, but those had all been caused by a rat. Nothing the humans had done caused him more pain. 

The boy hadn’t even lashed out after Edge bit him. He hadn’t forced Edge to repent, hadn’t held him over a fire until his bones cracked just to see how long he could take the heat. Hadn’t even flicked him upside the head like the children used to do.

“What can I do?” Thomas asked, his voice loud in the silence of the room. 

Rus sniffled. “nothing,” he said miserably. “you probably don’t even want a pet, do you? you already have a cat. i’ll be okay. probably. edge...edge taught me how to survive on my own.”

He sounded so hurt, so agonizingly wretched that it made Edge’s soul cry out to comfort him. 

“You’re pretty sure he won’t let you go back?” Thomas said sadly. 

Rus laughed, though there was no humor there. “oh, he hates me now. this whole thing has been an ongoing fight between us for months. he made me choose him or you guys, and i chose him. i don’t regret that. i’m glad i got the time with him that i did.”

“You sound like you love him.”

“i think i do.”

Edge’s jaw fell slack. 

He’d known for a while that he loved Rus, but he could never admit it. He never wanted to chance ruining their friendship or their perfectly satisfying situation for the possibility of more. Just having Rus around made Edge happy, so what was the point in throwing a wrench in the machine?

But to hear that Rus loved him back...If his soul wasn’t connected to him, it would have burst right out of his chest and gone to Rus in an instant. He so wanted to hold him, to touch him. Just...even just a simple, familiar touch like between his shoulder blades. Enough to feel Rus’ bones beneath his fingers. 

“but that doesn’t matter,” Rus sighed. “i fucked it up. i’m not even sure i can regret that, y’know? even if he hates me, at least he’s alive. i couldn’t bear it if he died. not when i could do something about it.”

Edge remembered what little he knew about Rus’ circumstances with his owner. From what he’d gleaned from conversation and listening to Rus as he slept, he had tried to help his owner on the day of their death. He had tried to call for help, but he didn’t know how. He had watched his owner die with absolutely no way to stop it. 

“Don’t you think he would have done the same for you?” Thomas asked. 

Rus scoffed. “no, of course not. i mean, he wouldn’t have brought me to humans. he would have helped, sure, but he’s so much stronger than me. his magic actually works. mine? mine is defective, and i couldn’t even heal him enough to stop the bleeding. you saw him when we got to your room; there’s probably still a dried trail of marrow leading back to his camp.”

There was. Edge could see it smeared on the floor. 

“he wouldn’t have needed to get outside help. he could have done it by himself. if i hadn’t been so scared when that rat showed up, that might have been how it went. but, like everything else, i fucked it up. instead of trying to fight the thing off, i just screamed.”

Edge shivered at the thought of Rus trying to fight off the rat. It would have killed him, no doubt. Regardless, Rus had helped a great deal in distracting it. 

Rus had saved his life in more ways than one, it seemed. 

“What happened to the rat?” Thomas asked.

“edge killed it. he’s so strong and brave. i could never be interesting to him. i’m just...i’m so stupid.”

“Hey, now, you’re not stupid.”

Edge agreed. Rus was much smarter than he ever gave himself credit for.

“oh yes i am,” Rus argued. “i knew what i was doing was betraying him. i knew how much he’d hate me when he woke up, but i did it anyway. i didn’t have a choice, thomas!”

No, he really didn’t, Edge realized. 

If it had been Rus who was hurt too badly for Edge to heal him, he would have searched out help. Maybe he wouldn’t have brought him to humans, but there were other ways to get help. 

“I know you didn’t, Rus. It’s okay.”

“i wish i could make him see that, but i know he’d only hurt himself trying to kick me out if i went back. i can’t do that to him.”

So Rus was just going to let Edge go? Just like that? 

The thought hurt. If Rus loved him, shouldn’t he be willing to do anything to keep him?

No, that wasn’t how love was supposed to work. Not according to Rus, Edge realized. Love was giving the other person what they needed, not forcing them to give you what you wanted. 

Edge wanted that kind of love. Stars, did he want it. 

He stood up on shaky legs and peeked out the hole in the wall. Rus was curled up on himself inside the box while Thomas sat on the floor beside it, his legs crossed and his hands resting peacefully in his lap. 

Besides, hadn’t Rus risked everything to save Edge? He’d even let Edge go, thinking they’d never see each other again, simply because Edge was angry and demanded to be let go.

“Rus?” he said softly. 

Rus looked up to see Edge coming out of the wall. He didn’t know how to read the expression on Rus’ face.

“edge?” he asked carefully. “are you okay? did you get hurt?” He launched to his feet and raced over to Edge’s side, careful not to touch. “what happened? why did you come back?”

Edge reached out with his good arm and pulled him into a hug. “I never left,” he admitted. 

Rus warily wrapped his arms around Edge, only lightly touching. “what?”

“I didn’t intend to listen in. I only meant to sit for a moment and catch my breath before I went home. But then...Well, I heard everything.” His arm tightened around Rus, savoring the feel of him so close. 

Rus didn’t pull back, but he didn’t relax into the embrace either. He stood, stiffly accepting what Edge offered. 

Edge glared up at Thomas, still not sure how far he could trust this human. Thomas only smiled back before he stood up and walked away. He left the room, shutting the door behind him. 

Well, he definitely wasn’t going to try to stop Edge from leaving again.

“Rus--”

Before he could continue, Rus pulled back. “i’m really sorry, edge. you trusted me, and i betrayed you. i don’t know why you came back, but i just...i’m just so sorry.”

Edge nodded and reached out, tenderly cupping Rus’ cheekbone. “Please listen. I was very angry. I still am, but I can concede that you did what you did out of desperation. You didn’t plan this so you could deliberately go behind my back and force me to live with humans. I do understand that.”

Rus nodded, looking a bit like he was getting scorned, and sniffled. “but…” he hedged, urging Edge to continue his statement.

“But nothing. That’s all. You did what you felt you had to, and I can respect that.” He stepped just a little closer. “And...honestly...I love you, too.”

Rus stared up at him, his eye lights sparkling from the tears he’d shed and his face flushed from Edge’s confession. He’d never seemed more beautiful than he did in that moment. 

“how?” Rus blurted. “why? why me?”

Edge smirked. “Why not you? You’re the kind of person anyone would be lucky to fall in love with. You were willing to give up everything for me, Rus. You did give it up; I know you thought you’d never see me again.”

Rus nodded. Before he could say anything about it, Edge leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to his cheekbone. 

“I would love it if you would come back home with me.”

Again, Rus stared at him for a moment to process what he’d heard. 

“are you sure?” he asked hesitantly. 

Edge nodded. “I’m very sure. You belong with me, and I with you.”

Rus huffed a laugh, relieved or actually humorous Edge didn’t know. “yeah, i do. hey...um...will you...maybe...do something for me?” He started fiddling with his fingers, staring at them instead of looking at Edge. 

“Perhaps. What do you need?”

He sucked in a deep breath. “i need you to be okay. will you...at least consider letting Mom check your bandages?”

“That’s pushing it,” Edge warned. He didn’t want or need anything checked. 

Rus nodded without argument. “okay. you don’t have to. i just...worry, i guess. if any of your wounds get infected, i couldn't heal them.” 

He sounded so scared of the idea. 

Edge sighed. “I can’t let her touch me, Rus. Just knowing that she already has makes me feel dirty.” She may not be Edge’s previous owner, but the fact that she was a doctor at all made it seem too close. 

“do you think you could let thomas look at them? or maybe hannah? she’s the older girl. or, hell, even me? just...with one of them in the room?”

He was pleading now, his hands reaching out absently to grip at Edge’s shirt. A shirt that he wasn’t currently wearing, and his fingers curled around the bandage wrapped tightly around his ribs. 

Edge sucked in a pained breath, and Rus jumped back. “sorry!”

Edge shook his head. “No, it’s okay.” He sucked in a breath to calm his nerves. Pain meant danger, and he had learned the hard way that danger meant he had to be ready to fuck someone up real fast if he wanted to survive. But this was Rus, and Rus hadn’t meant to hurt him. 

“I’m alright,” he insisted. “Really.”

Rus didn’t look convinced. “i won’t do that again.”

Edge had no doubt that was true. Rus had made plenty of mistakes in his first few months living with Edge, but he never repeated the same one twice. 

The pain was a reminder that he was injured far more than he could handle on his own. His soul was busy working to heal his wounds; he could try to add extra healing magic to himself but he wouldn’t be able to muster much. Rus was shit at it despite all of his attempts to learn. 

Edge had once wanted to believe that Rus just hadn’t had the lessons to get his magic under control, but he soon learned that was not the case. Rus’ soul was...not normal. He had an overabundance of magic, so much that he should be one of the most powerful monsters alive, and yet none of it was actually usable. His soul was unstable in a way that left him crashing hard after attempting to focus it on any one task for longer than a few minutes at a time. 

With a sigh, he finally conceded. “Alright. I will allow the doctor to look at me, but only you are allowed to touch me. If she tries, I will not hesitate to--”

Rus flung forward, catching himself at the last second, and carefully wrapped his arms around Edge. 

“thank you,” he breathed, his mouth against Edge’s skull. “thank you so much.”

Grudgingly, Edge nodded. “She better not touch me.”

Rus laughed a little, huffing warm breath against Edge’s bones. “she won’t. i know she’ll respect your boundaries.”

Edge hoped he was right.

* * *

Rus was so damn proud of Edge. He couldn’t even imagine how scary this must for him, but here he was, standing bravely on the counter that served as an exam table with a bright light shining down on both him and Rus. 

“Okay, so first of all, let me have a look at you before we remove any bandages,” Mom said with a soft and encouraging tone. She’d agreed to all of Edge’s terms, just happy that she was able to check up on him. “Will you please turn in a slow circle?”

Edge did, his face showing just how stupid he thought this whole thing was. 

“Good, okay, it doesn’t look like any marrow has leaked through. That’s a good sign. Alright, Edge, let’s start with your right arm. Go ahead and remove the bandage, Rus. Be careful of any dried marrow that might catch or be stuck; this can sometimes be painful.”

Rus swallowed and looked at Edge for a moment. Edge sucked in a deep breath before he nodded and held out his right arm. Rus carefully unwrapped the bandage, paying close attention to how easily it moved before trying to lift it. Only one spot seemed to stick, but Edge only winced as Rus eased it off. 

Mom instructed Edge on different ways to hold out his arm and asked Rus to feel around for any sharp notches or breaks that she may have missed the first time she bandaged him. They moved on to Edge’s left arm that had been in a sling to keep his shoulder from moving too much. It was pretty much the same. 

It didn’t get bad until Rus started pulling the bandage off of his chest. The gash on his sternum had been the worst of his injuries, and the bandage was glued down to his ribs with dried marrow. 

“i don’t think i can get this off,” Rus whined. Edge was already panting from his efforts to keep from showing how much pain he was really in. 

Mom tried to get a good look without touching him, and soon she set down a small cup of some clear liquid with pieces of cotton ball beside it. 

“This is peroxide. I don’t--”

“No!” Edge all but screamed. “Not that! Please...please.”

Rus’ hands helped steady Edge as he stumbled backward, trying to get away from the cup. 

Thomas took it away without a word. 

“Okay,” Mom said softly. “Okay, no peroxide. It’s okay, Edge, we’re not here to hurt you. I need you to know that the only reason I suggested it is to help ease the bandages away without too much pain.”

“I’d rather you rip them off before you use that shit.”

“We won’t rip them off either,” Mom soothed. “Can we use water?”

Edge glared at her. “I’ll know the difference.”

She actually looked hurt as she answered him. “Oh, Edge...I would never tell you it’s water when it’s not. You can even inspect it first.” 

She set another cup down, and Rus went with Edge to inspect the contents. It was just water.

With a sigh, Edge nodded. 

Rus took one of the pieces of cotton and soaked it, wringing it out before dabbing it lightly against Edge’s chest. Edge didn’t make a sound, but Rus felt the flinch he tried to hide. 

It took a while, but he was finally able to get the bandage away from Edge’s chest. Mom took a moment to look it over, then asked Rus to clean it up a bit more with the water. He could tell she wished she could use something more medical, but he appreciated her willingness to let it go.

Once Edge was inspected, cleaned, treated, and rebandaged, Mom gave Rus a few tips on how to help Edge when they were back home. She had also taken the time to look at his arm and rebandage it as well.

Edge seemed a little perplexed as they walked through the walls back home. Slowly, because neither of them had the energy or stamina to make it quick.

“how do you feel?” Rus asked. 

He shrugged and reached out to take his hand. He couldn’t help but remember Edge’s confession, and wondered what this might mean for their future. 

“Confused,” he admitted. “They let us go. Again.”

Rus chuckled. “yeah, they did. i told you they would.”

Edge looked at him, but it wasn’t the glare he had expected. Instead, there was softness in his gaze that Rus wasn’t familiar with. 

“Yes, you did.” 

Once they made it back home, they took the time to get rid of the rat’s body. Tomorrow, they’d take it out to Thomas so he could get rid of it properly. For now, they moved it far enough away that no insects would be tempted to invade their home.

After cleaning up, they both decided they were tired. Rus wasn’t sure what to expect, but out of pure habit started making the couch up for him to sleep on. 

“Rus?” Edge asked, his tone hesitant.

Rus turned to him. “yeah?”

“Would you...like to sleep in my bed with me? I know it was only because it was cold last night, but…”

He trailed off, staring at the mess of blankets they’d left behind in their panic to fight the rat. 

“actually, that’d be great. maybe we can even cuddle a little? well, not if you’re hurting.”

Edge smiled. “I’d love that.”

They climbed into bed and Edge curled up into Rus’ chest, letting him hold him close with a careful hand on his arm. 

“let me know if i hurt you.” 

Edge sighed happily and nuzzled Rus’ chest. “This actually feels really good.”

Rus let himself dip his head enough to place a gentle kiss on Edge’s skull. “i love you,” he said softly. 

He could feel Edge’s smile against his chest. “I love you, too. Goodnight, Rus.”

He couldn’t wait to see what the future held for them. With a smile on his face, he closed his eyes and let himself drift off to sleep.

**Author's Note:**

> fun fact: Thomas’ character is based loosely on my own kid. 
> 
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
